Main Source

Extremely significant for 1991's Breaking Atoms alone, Main Source's effect on hip-hop is nearly impossible to gauge, especially when considering Large Professor and K-Cut's contributions outside of the group. Consisting of MC/producer Large Professor (born Paul Mitchell) and twin DJs/producers K-Cut (born Kevin McKenzie) and Sir Scratch, the New York group came together in 1989 and debuted on Wild Pitch with Breaking Atoms -- an undeniably classic album, regardless of its field -- two years later. The group's production work, combined with Large Professor's masterful wordplay (from the brilliant baseball analogies drawn throughout the police brutality-themed "Just a Friendly Game of Baseball," to the disheartening romantic strife depicted in "Looking at the Front Door"), set a standard. While Gang Starr's DJ Premier is commonly heralded as a groundbreaking sampler and beatmaker, it was Large Professor and K-Cut who schooled him on how to master the SP1200. Not only that, but Breaking Atoms' "Live at the Barbeque" helped establish the careers of both Akinyele and Nas.

Large Professor left the group due to financial issues and began to concentrate on production work. K-Cut and Sir Scratch continued the group and installed MC Mikey D. for 1994's F*ck What You Think. Though it hardly holds a candle to Breaking Atoms (to be fair, it would've been tough to build on that record, even with Large Professor's presence), the album was hardly an artistic failure, but it came and went without much notice. Without their greatest weapon, the group's second go-round wasn't given much of a chance. It didn't help that it took three years to reach fruition. Meanwhile, Large Professor was racking up production credits for Eric B. & Rakim, Akinyele, Mobb Deep, Nas, and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth. He didn't make his proper solo debut until 2002, with the disappointing 1st Class. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi

large proffessor was the man real hiphop never gets dated classic album all others rollin snake eyes

5 years ago

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edmitch21

tru hip hop - dont get no better -- block party music

5 years ago

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nicolelajohnson_22

I LOVE THIS SONG!!!

5 years ago

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adamsdsa8

Main Source, Eric B.& Rakim is the direction that HIP HOP should have gone and not this stuff we have today!!!

6 years ago

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doom22

hey pradoy..i culdnt have said it better myself..when fakin the funk just came on i was fleded w so many awesum memories of my high skool day..best time of my life! 80s and 90s rap and hip hop plays such a huge role in my life and who i am today

6 years ago

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pradoy

Hip-Hop today doesn't speak to me like it did in late eighties through the early ninties. Maybe it's because I am older, but the reality is Hip-Hop today is full of garbage crap based on no substance. It all sounds alike and who is working now adays to take hip-hop to another creative level, Kanye, please!!!

ah n**ga 42 yrs old that was my error of music theres nothing like old school
this is true hip hop and this n**gas put it down I live in the old school error
musically because that time of music was exciting todays rap music lacks skill
and creativity if u got a bullshit gimmic u n there u vanilla ice a** n**gas